Sami's Uncle Sam and His Happily Ever After
by bahjcb
Summary: For those of you wondering what happened to Sam after "Either This Or" ended. Sam's in the dating game and getting a little help from his three-year-old goddaughter.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: I don't know about the rest of you, but I just wanted to make sure Sam got his "happily ever after." For some reason, it didn't see certain unless I wrote it. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. ;-)_

_Disclaimer: As this is sort of a sequel to __Either This Or__ I think I'm just going to claim the same thing I claimed last time—still not mine, darn it! Oh, and I own nothing else that might be mentioned within this story._

* * *

_The London Free Press  
_**Business  
**GamePress, Inc. Expanding Once Again  
By Saeran Prydderch, THE CANADIAN PRESS

Watching Derek walk away with Sami balanced on his hip, listening attentively as she jabbered away, Saeran smiled at the sight and sighed happily.

"Is that not just the cutest thing you've ever seen?" she cooed. "Who knew Derek Venturi had cuteness in him!"

"Wow, maybe you should start a fan club," Sam said with a wry smile. "I hear that a lot of women think that Derek is an adorable daddy."

Turning, Saeran gave Sam a teasing smile before asking, "How about Ralph? How many women think Ralph's adorable with those Grade One kiddies he teaches? I want to know my options before I start a fan club."

His smile became genuine as Sam laughed. Running a hand through his blond hair, he asked, "What about me? Aren't I cute with my goddaughter?"

"Of course, but Derek has first dibs because he's her 'Daddy.'"

"And only one person can be cute with Sami Venturi?"

Shrugging, Saeran replied, "I'm afraid that's the rules."

"The rules, huh? How come I've never heard of these rules?" Sam teased.

"Don't know. I guess you're not as informed as me."

"Why don't you tell me about these rules?"

"Well, we do have a date next week," Saeran said with a blush.

Rubbing the back of his neck in a nervous gesture, Sam said, "Well, if you're not busy now, we could always…you know, um, get some…ice cream, maybe? You could work on getting me up to date now."

Smiling, Saeran looked to the ground and then back up at Sam and nodded. "Only if we can get chocolate ice cream."

"You can have you own cone too."

Laughing, Saeran replied, "Count me in."

* * *

_The London Free Press  
_**News: Local  
**Marble Slab Creamery Starts Construction on a New Location  
By Christopher OHLEMACHER

Walking into Marble Slab Creamery with a skip in her step, Saeran said, "I want Willy Wonka®!"

"You want to check out a movie?" Sam asked, confused at the subject change.

"No," Saeran replied with a shake of her head and a smile. Pointing up towards the menu, she said, "The Willy Wonka® mix on the Tasty Creations ™ Menu."

"Double Dark Chocolate with Chocolate Chips & Fudge," he read out loud. Teasing he said, "So, you still haven't gotten help for that Chocolate Addiction you have."

"I don't have a problem, Sam. You only need to get help if your addiction causes problems in your life," she teased back.

"Oh, of course. You know, you use the same logic as Sami."

"Well, you did say she was a genius. And to prove I'm as smart…"

"As a three-year-old," he teased.

Smirking, Saeran went on as if she hadn't heard him, "I'm going to order for both of us."

"Go right ahead."

"I will," she replied, walking up to the counter to order. Turning to the bored girl taking orders Saeran said, "We would like one Willy Wonka ® and one Bananas Foster. Both in waffle bowls."

"Okay," the girl drawled. "I'll get right on that."

As Sam got out his wallet to pay, Saeran said, "So, was I right? Vanilla ice cream with bananas and caramel?"

Smiling he said, "You _are_ a genius."

Suddenly looking worried, she asked, "You didn't want something else…"

Putting his fingers across her lips to quiet her, Sam said, completely serious, "You're right. You remember _me_."

Sam's fingers slowly slipped down Saeran lips and lightly caressed her chin. She shivered and closed her eyes, enjoying his touch.

The moment, however, was unfortunately cut short by the cashier as she snapped, "Like, are you _ever_ going to pay?"

"Uh…oh, right," Sam replied, coming back to earth. Pulling out several bills, he passed them over to the impatient girl and quietly waited for his change.

Once their desserts were ready, Sam and Saeran found a quiet corner of the ice cream shop and sat down. Silence enveloped them, both two busy eating and neither quite knowing what to say.

Nervousness overwhelming her, Saeran blurted out, "The largest ice cream sundae ever made was created in Alberta in 1988 and weighed 55,000 pounds."

"55,000 pounds?"

"Um hum," Saeran nodded in agreement before blathering on. "And, the largest ice cream weighed almost 2,500 pounds! Carvel made the world's largest ice cream cake. It weighed 12,096 pounds and it took 54 people to assemble it. You can find the world's largest ice cream cone in Peoria, Illinois."

"Wow. That's a lot of ice cream," Sam teased, trying to get her to stop sounding like a demented encyclopedia. It didn't work.

"In order, the top five most popular ice cream flavors are vanilla, chocolate, Neapolitan, strawberry, and cookies n' cream. Vanilla alone comprises of ¼ of all ice cream sales.

America produces more than one _billion _gallons of ice cream a year! By their federal law, ice cream that is sold in stores, well regular normal ice cream, must have at least 10 percent milkfat. Ice creams that are labeled 'Reduced fat' have to have 25 percent less fat than regular ice creams, 'light' ice cream is required to have 50 percent less fat, 'low fat' can have no more than of 3g of fat per serving, and 'nonfat' ice creams must have _less_ than .5g fat per serving."

Stretching out his hand, Sam grabbed one of Saeran's and asked, "Why do you know so much about ice cream."

"Well, one of my first _published _articles was written about ice cream. July is National Ice Cream Month in the US. President Reagan made it official in 1984. I wrote one of those fluff pieces about ice cream for a paper while I was in school," Saeran replied, finally calming down.

Glad to see her becoming normal once again, Sam said, "I bet it was fascinating."

Grinning, Saeran shook her head. "It wasn't. But, I got paid and I got to see my name in print so I'm not complaining."

Scooping up a spoonful of his ice cream, Sam countered, "I'm sure it was a lot more interesting than the sleep habits of mice."

"Mice?"

"Mice," he confirmed. "I'm a research assistant and I got to help write a paper about mice and how they sleep. Derek reads it to Sami when she won't go to sleep."

"Sam," she said through her laughter. "I'm sure it was excellent."

"No, it was boring. Extremely boring. But, most psychology papers are on the boring side."

"Then why are you still studying it?"

"They may not be well written, but the subject is fascinating. And," he added with a smirk. "I'm becoming a psychiatrist. That means I get to work with medicines. That makes it so much more fun than just being a psychologist."

Giggling, Saeran shook her head and grinned. She had forgotten how much she missed just being with Sam.

* * *

_The London Free Press  
_**Dating & Mating  
**Getting Back into the Dating Game and How  
By P.G. cLARKE

As Sam ran brushed his teeth, he tried to decide if he was dressed appropriately for a second first date. It was just dinner, he reminded himself. He could do this, Sam decided. Suddenly, he was unsure if he could do this without acting like Derek and vomiting out his stress.

The phone startled him and much to Sam's dismay, he dropped his foamy brush all down his shirt. Quickly spitting into the sink, he then jogged to the phone and grabbed it. Panting slightly, he said, "Hello?"

"Hi, Uncle Sam!"

"Sami," Sam replied, finding himself automatically smiling at the sound of his goddaughter's voice. "Is everything okay?"

"Yep! Mommy's crying over the _Cheerios_ commercials."

"The one with the Daddy and the baby sharing a bowl of cereal?" Sam asked as he walked into his bedroom to look for a new shirt.

"Yep! Mommy said that Daddy let me feed him _Cheerios_ when I was little!"

Laughing to himself, Sam said, "And what did Daddy say?"

"He said he'd let me feed him _Cheerios_ now if Mommy would stop crying. Mommy started crying harder."

No longer able to hide his laughter, it took Sam a moment to respond.

"Daddy doesn't like to see you or your mommy cry."

"Nope," Sami agreed. "But he did say it's okay to cry. I tried to be a big girl and not cry when I got a booboo, but the tears squished out! Daddy said that was okay. He said he's shirt was super ab—sore…

"Absorbent," Sam filled it.

"Yep! Hey, Uncle Sam! Whatcha doing?"

"Trying to pick a shirt for my date with Saeran."

Sam was surprised when only silence met his comment and he thought for a moment that Sami had dropped the phone or it had been taken from her. Seconds later, however, he found out that he was wrong.

"You should wear the blue shirt Mommy and Daddy gave you for your birthday."

Pulling out the fine striped, light blue, button-down, cotton shirt out of his closet, Sam said, "It is a nice shirt."

"And it's blue like your eyes! Uncle Sam!" Sam smiled at the little girl's enthusiasm as she continued on without taking a breath. "You can wear one of those nice coats over it! That's what Daddy calls 'Looking good and being comfortable.'"

"And what nice coat should I wear?"

"A blue one, so it matches!"

Sam knew his goddaughter was rolling her eyes at his clothing incompetence.

"And what pants does Daddy wear with his 'Looking good and being comfortable' outfit?"

"Jeans," Sami instantly replied.

"Are you sure I won't be too blue, Sami?" Sam teased.

"Mommy said matching is a good thing. But…" Sami dragged out. "You could wear your gray turtle shirt. Say-ran's eyes are gray. Mommy thinks it's cute when Daddy matches our eyes."

Setting the blue shirt aside, Sam grabbed his gray turtleneck and considered it for a second before putting it back. It was July; he wasn't going to wear a turtleneck in this heat.

"Sorry, Sami, it's too hot for the turtle shirt."

"Don't you have any other gray shirts, Uncle Sam?"

"Well, I do have a gray polo shirt."

"Wear that!" Sami encouraged.

"Samantha, who are you talking to?" Sam could hear Casey say in the background.

"I'm helping Uncle Sam get ready for his date!" Sami excitedly yelled. Unfortunately for Sam, he still had the phone up to his ear.

Sam realized he must have missed something while his ears were ringing when Casey's voice said, "Sam, I'm so sorry. I hope Sami didn't keep you from anything."

"That's okay, Casey. She was helpful. Really."

"I didn't realize that Sami knew your phone number. If I knew…"

"Casey," Sam interrupted. "Ralph and I taught her our numbers, her home phone, her grandparents, and anyone else we could think of in case of an emergency."

"Oh," Casey groaned. "I hope she hasn't been calling New York without our knowledge."

"We didn't know Dennis's phone number," Sam assured her.

If Casey's pregnancy with Sami had taught Derek and their friends and family anything, it was that Casey, who was normally high strung, became even more so with pregnancy hormones racing through her body. Derek's number one rule was to keep Casey calm. Pick an argument with her and get her upset and Derek would take it out of your hide. Sam was _really_ hoping that Casey wasn't going to be upset about the phone number thing. He knew that living in Toronto wouldn't save him if she was.

"And, Casey, I don't mind Sami calling me. I love her and love talking to her," he quickly and sincerely added.

"Well, I guess it's a good idea for Sami to know those numbers in case of an emergency."

"We taught her after she took Bob to go see Aunt Marti."

Remembering that, Casey instantly calmed down. "You're right. If someone else found her, having our numbers would have been helpful."

Sam held back a groan as Casey's voice then turned playful and she teased, "So, you're all ready for your date with Saeran, hum? Isn't it a little early?"

"It's a two hour drive to London," Sam replied.

"You're picking her up instead of meeting her halfway! That is so cute!"

"Yeah," Sam reluctantly agreed.

If he had ever had any doubts as to where Sami had gotten her enthusiasm from, it was cleared up now.

"Sami, no cookies! Sorry, Sam, I've got to go," Casey hurriedly said. "Call us later! Oh, you can stay here tonight if your date ends late. You still have the spare, right?"

"Yeah," Sam agreed. "I might just stay on your couch tonight."

"Then you can tell us all about your date over breakfast! Sami, I said no! Bye Sam," Casey said just before the dial tone buzzed in his ear.

Shaking his head, Sam turned the phone off and went back to contemplating the gray polo or the blue, birthday shirt. Suddenly, he had the strangest desire to call Casey back and ask for help deciding which to wear.

* * *

_The London Free Press  
_**Weather  
**Forecast: Sunny

High: 25 °C

Low: 12 °C

Probability of Precipitation: 0

In the end, Sam decided on the birthday shirt, jeans, a khaki colored blazer, and brown loafers. With one final look at himself in the mirror, Sam grabbed his pre-prepared overnight bag and headed for the door. With as many trips to London to see his goddaughter as Sam took, he always made sure to have an overnight bag ready and handy at all times.

For the first hour of the drive, Sam listened to the radio and tried to think of anything he could **but** the coming date. Halfway into the second hour, however, Sam gave up the pretense and called Derek for advice or a distraction, he wasn't really sure what his motivation was.

"Dude, Case said you called around four. I thought you didn't get off till six," was how Derek answered the phone.

"I traded with Mel," Sam absently replied. "What's going on over at your place?" he asked, hearing noise in the background that he couldn't quite identify.

"Sami, stop trying to feed Bob your vegetables. Sorry, Sam," Derek said, returning his attention to his friend. "What did you say?"

"I asked what you were doing—but now it's obvious."

"Yeah, six-thirty's dinner time around here," Derek agreed.

In the background, Sam heard Casey say, "Sami, Bob doesn't want mash potatoes either. He has his own food to eat."

"But, I've tried it. It tastes yucky!" Sami declared. "Bob doesn't want that!"

Laughing, Sam said, "So, Sami's trying to share with Bob again?"

"Yeah," Derek sighed. "We're hoping she'll share as well with the new baby." Laughter entering his tone, he asked, "So, did your trade have you working this morning, or did you take the whole day off to prepare for your date?"

Scoffing, Sam replied, "This coming from the guy who spent all day praying to the porcelain god before he asked Casey to marry him."

"Hey, she could have said no!" Derek protested. Even all these years later, he still didn't like to be teased about his occasionally weak stomach.

"D, I think you're the only one who thought Casey saying no was an actual possibility."

Derek didn't response for a minute or two, but Sam knew he hadn't hung up because he could hear indistinguishable voices in the background across the phone line. Finally, Derek said, "Sorry, Sam, do you need something, because I've got to go. S-a-m-i thinks it isn't d-i-n-n-e-r-t-i-m-e until we're all sitting together with the p-h-o-n-e hung up."

Sam laughed to himself at Derek's continual spelling of words.

"I was just…how did you get through your first date with Casey?"

"How did I get through my first date with Casey?" Derek repeated, laughter tingeing his tone.

Before Sam could make a reply or Derek could tease him anymore, Casey grabbed the phone from her husband and said, "Sam, just be yourself. Saeran doesn't want anyone else but you. And help me, but all I want is Derek."

"Hey!" Derek exclaimed in the background.

Having been friends with them for so long, Sam knew Casey and Derek were exchanging flirty looks and grinning at each other over that comment.

"Sam," Casey finally spoke again. "Derek and I just got to know each other. We took it slow and that's why we knew each other and trusted each other well enough that Yvette never had a chance to hurt us. Don't expect too much, just get to know Saeran again and let her get to know you and you'll be fine."

"Thanks, Casey," Sam replied, suddenly a lot calmer.

"You're welcome. Oh, just a second. Only for a minute, we want to have dinner, okay?" Sam heard Casey as she passed the phone off.

"Hello, Uncle Sam!" Sami exclaimed. "Are you going on your date?"

"Yes, Sami, I am," Sam laughed.

"Okay! Have fun! Bye-bye!"

"Bye," Sam said to the dial tone. He knew Casey would be scolding Sami for being impolite, but it wouldn't be doing much as Derek would be laughing the whole time.

* * *

_The London Free Press  
_**Sports  
**Woman Protests London City's Colours for Being too Bland  
By Mike LONGLEY, THE CANADIAN PRESS

Kaitlin sat on Saeran's bed and watched her sister fiddle with her hair, trying desperately not to laugh.

Turning around with a scowl, dropping several curls in the process, Saeran snapped, "If you're not going to help, then go away!"

Leaning back against the pillows, Kaitlin said, "I just don't see what the big deal is."

"That's because you're thirteen."

"You've dated Sam before, you like him…"

"He's only taking me out because I practically forced him."

"You mentioned you were available, that's hardly forcing his hand," Kaitlin countered.

Sighing, Saeran gave up all pretense of doing her hair and sighed. "He's such a nice guy and his goddaughter wanted us to date…"

Smirking, Kaitlin countered, "He could have _prompted_ that comment."

"I wish." Turning back to her vanity mirror, Saeran asked, "Up or down?"

"Down. Your hair is too short to go up."

"It's a professional cut."

"I never said I didn't like it, I was just stating a fact." Giving her sister a firm stare through the mirror, Kaitlin asked again, "What's the big deal? I've never seen you act this weird over a date before."

Brushing out her hair and meeting her sister's eyes in the mirror, Saeran said, "Kait, this could be my last first date ever! I want it to be perfect."

"Last first date?" Kaitlin scoffed.

"It could!" Saeran protested. "In a couple of months, Sam and I could get married. He could be the future father of my children!"

"Saer, this is just a first date," Kaitlin reminded. "You're not acting like this because Derek and Casey got married and Ralph and Emily are engaged, are you? I mean, just because you two dated in high school doesn't mean you're meant to be."

"I know," Saeran assured her. "Trust me, I know. In college I dated…a lot. I dated as many guys as I could."

"And?"

"And, I've dated since college…none of the guys I dated in all those years made me feel as comfortable and happy as Sam did in the two hours we talked last week."

"Wait a second," Kaitlin said with a grin. "You two spent two hours talking last Friday after the party?"

"Yeah. Well, actually, the first fifteen minutes was at the party with Sami—his goddaughter—and then we talked for another ten/fifteen minutes or so at the party before we decided to go get some ice-cream…"

"Saeran," Kaitlin interrupted. "This might be your last **second **date ever. You two have already gone on your first date."

"What?"

"Food, talking, totally a date."

"You think?" Saeran asked, completely blindsided by this idea.

"Oh, yeah!" Kaitlin assured her.

"Oh." A grin spreading across her face, she said, "Well, I looked fabulous."

"You did," Kaitlin agreed. "The dress brought out the color of your eyes."

"Wow, what a load off! I'm so glad you told me this is the second date. I've been freaking out for nothing."

Rolling her eyes as only a thirteen-year-old sister can, Kaitlin laughed, "You are so weird."

"What? Second dates are totally easier than first dates."

"I hope this weirdness of yours isn't contagious. I'd like to continue being the normal one in this family."

Now it was Saeran's turn to roll her eyes.

* * *

_The London Free Press  
_**Classifieds: Announcements  
**THEODORE AND MAUREEN LARSEN  
50 Years Together and Still Going Strong

Both participants were happily surprised with how well things were going. Sam didn't make any comments about the fact that Saeran was living back at home due to the unsteadiness of her income and Saeran didn't say anything about the fact that Sam's car was held together or patched in various places with duct tape (they had used Saeran's car when they had gotten ice cream so she had yet to see the ancient relic). Those two facts alone made the date better than the last few they had gone on with other people.

Dinner at the French restaurant allowed Sam to tease Saeran on her horrendous accent. She then playfully pointed out that her family was Welsh and that her accent when speaking _that_ language was magnificent. From that point on, they enjoyed dinner but quickly came to the joint conclusion that they weren't French restaurant people—it was too stuffy and they were much too laid back to really enjoy it. Plus the fact that the food portions were so tiny, they decided that their next date would be much more casual.

Now they were taking a stroll through the park, neither really wanting to end their date. Sam smiled as he watched Saeran stare up at the sky as her petal pink, A-line, summer dress blew around her ankles in the slight breeze.

Saeran, unaware of her date's scrutiny, wondered if it would be completely uncouth to remove her absolutely fabulous and extremely sexy, leather, Jimmy Choo, high-heel (115mm) sandals. Despite the fact that they made her legs look fantastic, they were starting to hurt like crazy. Deciding she didn't care what Sam thought, Saeran slipped them off and barely kept her sigh of relief inaudible.

Sandals now being held by their straps in her right hand, Saeran grabbed Sam's hand with her left, and led him onto the cool grass.

Letting her lead him through the park, Sam decided that she looked cute swing her sandals in one hand as she stared up at the stars. Enjoying the silence, but wanting to hear her voice, Sam asked, "What are you thinking?"

Laughing lightly, Saeran turned to look into his intense, blue eyes. "It's silly and a bit whimsical."

"It couldn't have been sillier or more whimsical than your idea to store snowballs in your freezer to throw at unsuspecting people in July."

"Samuel, you know you loved the look on Derek Venturi's face when I nailed him in the back of the head with that snowball."

Laughing in remembrance, Sam replied, "I still wish we'd brought a camera. That was priceless."

"It was," she agreed with a grin.

"Now, tell me what those silly and whimsical thoughts you were thinking are."

Shaking her head and looking back up at the sky, Saeran said, "I always wanted to dance under the starlight with someone."

Pulling her closer, Sam took her shoes and sat them down on the ground. Slipping his arm around her waist, he started humming.

Instantly recognizing the song, Saeran burst into laughter. "D-Rock didn't have a large repertoire did it?"

"Hey, _It Is Not Over_ is a classic."

"How about this," she countered before starting to hum a new tune.

Smiling, Sam sang, "Moon river, wider than a mile, I'm crossing you in style some day."

Saeran joined in, adding harmony as the two twirled and swayed their way around the area. As they came to a high note, Sam dropped Saeran's hand. Gripping her waist, he lifted her up and twirled her around before gently setting her back down into the cool grass as they sang the last note together.

"You've gotten better at dancing," Saeran sighed, swaying against him.

Breathing in her perfume, Sam replied, "No one's watching. I get nervous dancing around other people."

"I should have taken you to the park long ago."

Instead of answering, Sam tilted Saeran's chin up and pressed his lips against hers. For both of them, it was everything they remembered kissing each other to be and so much more.

* * *

_The London Free Press  
_**Movies  
**Review:_ X-Files_ meets _DC Comics_ in this Summer's Latest Hit  
By PATRICK E. Blake, SUN MEDIA

"Oomph," Sam breathed out, his sleep having been interrupted by three-year-old Sami's exuberant jump onto his stomach.

Pealing his eyes open, Sam groaned, "Sami."

Pressing her face against her uncle's so that his eyes looked funny, Sami replied, "It's breakfast time, Uncle Sam! It's time to get up."

"Uncle Sam didn't go to bed until _really _late, Sami," Sam tried to explain. "I'll play with you in a little bit."

"Uncle Sam, you can't miss breakfast!"

Sam sighed happily as he felt Sami being lifted from his chest. He was just about to fall back asleep when Derek's voice interrupted the quiet.

"Come on Sammy boy, get up. Casey's insisted on making breakfast and you're not going to ruin it. Get up!"

"Daddy," Sami exclaimed, saving Sam from having to comment. "You can't call Uncle Sam Sammy, that's my name!"

Kissing the side of his little girl's forehead, Derek replied, "You're my Sami girl. He's our Sammy boy."

Sami thought about this, but it didn't seem like she was happy with this idea. Turning her head, she spotted her mommy over her daddy's shoulder and shouted, "Mommy, can Uncle Sam be called Sammy, too? 'Cause that's my name!"

Waddling into the room, Casey grinned and asked, "Is Daddy calling Uncle Sam Sammy Boy again?"

"Yes," Sami indignantly replied.

Brushing the stray curls out of her daughter's face, Casey said, "Daddy used to call Uncle Sam Sammy boy all the time before you were born."

"Really?"

"That's right," Sam sleepily answered from the couch. "You stole my nickname, bumblebee, not the other way around."

"But I'm Sami now," the little girl said despondently.

Once again, Sam opened his eyes and looked up at his goddaughter. "Do you think we can share?"

"Yeah, firecracker," Derek agreed. "It can be something special you share with your Uncle Sam."

"Just us?" Sami clarified. "No one else gets to be a Sammy?"

"Just you and Uncle Sam," Casey assured her.

"Okay! Daddy, Mommy made chocolate chip pancakes! It's time for breakfast!"

Grinning, Derek said, "Then we need to go eat."

"Yep!"

Watching Derek leave the room with their daughter, Casey grinned and subconsciously rubbed her ever widening middle. Turning back to Sam, she found him watching her with one eye open. Smirking, she asked, "How was your date?"

"We've been dating for almost a month now, Casey. I would think you'd get bored of asking."

"You got in pretty late last night," she teased, not thrown off the trail in the least.

"We went to the midnight showing of that new comic book movie, _The Question_."

"Sam," Casey reprimanded, crossing her arms across her chest.

Sighing, Sam sat up and rubbed his eyes. "What?"

"You and Saeran have been dating steadily since Edwin and Erik's party last month."

"Yeah, so?"

Awkwardly, Casey lowered herself down onto the couch next to Sam. "Is it getting serious?"

"Casey, we've only been dating for a month." Running a hand through his sleep tousled hair, Sam added, "What's this about?"

"I just want to see you happy, Sam."

"I am happy, Casey. I promise."

"You're lonely."

"How could I be lonely? Sami calls me every other day."

"Sam, you know what I mean," Casey replied.

Leaning back against the Venturis' couch, Sam said, "I don't want to jinx it, Casey. I don't want to make it into more than it really is. We're having a good time and getting to know each other again. Isn't that what you told me to do?"

"For your first date!"

"Come to find out, that was our second. Evidently our first date was ice cream after the party."

"You took Saeran out after the party?"

"Yeah."

"Why didn't you tell us?"

"I'm guessing you agree that it was our first date."

"Of course it was!" Casey agreed. "Oh," she said, interrupting herself. Looking down at her stomach, she said, "Hey in there. Mommy doesn't need bruises on the inside. Calm down."

Derek, who had been instructed to find Mommy and Uncle Sam so they could have breakfast, walked back in to the room in time to hear Casey's talking to their unborn child. Smiling, he dropped down on his knees in front of Casey and started stroking the bulge that was their baby.

"Cameron, be nice to your Mommy, okay? I don't want to have to ground you before you're even born."

Laughing Casey said, "That just proves this baby is a Venturi—getting in trouble before he or she has entered the world."

Leaning up to kiss her, Derek stopped just before her lips and said, "You know you'd be bored stiff without having any Venturis in your life."

Grinning, Casey wrapped her arms around Derek's neck and said, "You know it."

Seeing them kiss, Sam knew that they could be occupied with that for some time and decided to go check on his goddaughter. Stopping in the doorway to glance back at the kissing pair, Sam decided that maybe Casey was right. Maybe being serious wouldn't be so bad.

* * *

_The London Free Press  
_**News: Canada & World  
**Man Raises Mountain Lion in Basement  
By Martin Shelby, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

"Chloe, you cannot marry him," Saeran insisted, not missing a beat in her efforts to remove the food stuck on the casserole dish soaking in the sink.

Plopping down on a stool at the nearby island, Chloe tried once again to explain the situation to her older sister.

"I'm not going to marry Tom. He's an idiot. I'm into guys who can string more than three words together in a sentence."

"You're leading him on. And, he cannot be that dumb! He's in you Econ 302 class for goodness sakes."

"Was. It's summer break," Chloe replied with a grin.

"Whatever," Saeran countered, waving a soap covered hand in the air. "Tom asked me for your ring size. He's becoming serious."

"Eww," Chloe sighed. "We only gone out sporadically for the last two months. That's way too soon to decide on a life mate."

"You make it sound _so_ romantic."

"Whatever! What's going on with you and Sam?"

"We've only been dating a month."

"Please," Chloe interrupted. "You see each other a couple of times a week. You call at least once a day. You're totally hooked."

"I thought you said two months is too soon to know," Saeran countered.

"Doesn't apply to you two. When it's right, it's right!"

"As Sam would say, you're using Sami logic."

"Three-year-olds aren't fettered by world views and can discern the truth easier than adults," Chloe haughtily countered.

"You are so full of it," Saeran answered as she finally got the last of the food off and started to rinse the dish.

"Maybe," Chloe conceded. "But, you still haven't told me what's going on with you and Sam."

Setting the dish on a clean towel to dry, Saeran sighed and leaned against the counter with a smile.

"I love him. I thought I loved him in high school, but now I _know_ I do." Glancing over at her sister, she added, "Sam will be the last man I ever date."

Chloe then responded to that in typical female fashion. She jumped off her stool, pulled Saeran into a tight hug, and then started to squeal. It didn't take long for Saeran to happily join in.

* * *

_The London Free Press  
_**Opinion: Point of View  
**Breakfast of WHAT Champions?  
By D. Burk

"What are you doing?" Saeran asked. From her tone, Sam could tell she was smiling.

Brushing the crumbs off his chest, he sheepishly replied, "I'm sitting on my couch, in my boxers, eating pork rinds, and watching _ESPN_. You?"

"Well…pajamas, quart of Chocolate Chunk ice cream, and a chick flick." Saeran interrupted herself with a laugh before saying, "We're quite a pair, aren't we?"

"Bad day?"

"More like long. You?"

"Same." Then came an unnatural pause before Sam blurted out, "I love you."

"I know you do," Saeran replied, before taking a bite of her ice cream. Sam could hear her chewing over the phone line.

"Is that all you want say?" he prompted.

She paused as if to think about it and said, "Yep. I think so."

Leaning back into the couch, Sam asked, "Are you punishing me because you said 'I love you' two weeks ago and I said, 'Thank you for telling me?'"

"Yep," she answered, this time laughter evident in her voice.

"I love you. I love you. I love you."

"Samuel Sheppard, what _are _you doing?" Saeran interrupted.

"I love you. I'm making it even. I love you. By my count, over the last two weeks you've said 'I love you' at least eighteen times. I love you."

"Twenty-three, but who's counting."

"I love you. I'm getting caught up. I love you."

"I love you, too," Saeran laughed. "Now stop it. It's starting to lose effect when you say it like that."

Seriously, Sam replied, "I do love you, Saer."

"I know," she answered back, equally as serious. "And Sam, I love you, too."

* * *

_The London Free Press  
_**Homes  
**Easy Home Repairs You Can Do Yourself  
By Monty RAy, THE CANADIAN PRESS

Hauling in a load of tile, Ralph asked, "D, why did you have to buy a fixer-upper?"

"And why do we have to waste our Saturdays helping you fix it up?" Sam added as he carefully placed tile on the wall next to the sink in Casey and Derek's downstairs bathroom.

"Stop complaining," Derek barked as he mixed mortar. "You would have been just lounging around your apartments doing nothing if you weren't here."

"And that's a bad thing?" Ralph asked.

"Casey is out with Emily and Saeran. Sami is spending time with Grammy and Grandpa. This tiling will be done by the time Casey comes home." Looking up from his mortar mixing, Derek added, "And don't even say anything about me being whipped. You two are only here because Saeran and Emily told you to help out."

"He does have a point," Ralph agreed.

Sam just shrugged his shoulders in agreement and went back to work.

The three guys worked quietly for a while before Ralph ventured, "So, Sam…how serious are you and Saeran?"

"Huh?" Sam asked, startled by the question.

Sighing, Ralph continued, "Emily and her mom watched that six hour _Pride & Prejudice_ movie…"

"By _A&E_ and _BBC_," Derek added. At his two buddies looks of disbelief, Derek said, "What? Casey makes me watch it with her when she's pregnant."

"Right, dude," Ralph smirked.

"She does."

Smirking himself, Sam asked, "Is there something more than whipped? 'Cause I really think we should accurately name it for Derek."

"Shut up," Derek replied. "Ralphie, why are you telling us about that movie?"

"Oh! So, Elizabeth and Jane are sisters and they have a double wedding."

"Who do they marry, D?" Sam teased.

"Darcy and Bingley. And I told you to shut up about that. Ralphie, finish."

Swallowing his laughter, Ralph went on. "Anyway, Emily said she thought having a double wedding would be fun. Her dad thought it would be a great idea…"

"To cut wedding costs," Sam finished.

"Right," Ralph agreed.

"Dudes, is this your stupid way to find out where Saeran and I are romantically for Casey and Emily?"

"Ha!" Derek replied. "After the Christmas Diabolical of 2013, Casey and I made an agreement that she would snoop herself instead of sending me in to do her dirty work."

"That was brutal," Ralph agreed.

"It hurt to watch," Sam added.

Shivering at the memory, Derek said, "I don't know why Casey didn't just ask Lizzie about her love life herself. She couldn't have really thought sending me in would end well, could she?"

"Not unless she was drunk," Sam offered.

"Or had brain damage," Ralph contributed.

"Either way, I don't care what you and Saeran are," Derek went on. "As for Ralphie, he thinks he's being romantic and giving Emily the wedding she wants."

"She said she liked the idea," Ralph agreed.

"She says that, but she'll kill you if you actually get Sam and Saeran to join your wedding."

"I think D's right, Ralph," Sam said. "Remember when Casey was planning their wedding."

"That was even scarier than the Christmas Diabolical of 2013."

"Oh, yeah," Derek quickly agreed.

"Emily isn't like that," Ralph interrupted.

"Yet," Derek argued.

Thinking about this, Ralph nodded. "Fine. Never mind then Sam. I don't care either."

Sam nodded, but a few minutes later he said, "I've looked at rings."

"Damn it," Derek groused. "If you tell me, Casey will know you said something and then I'll have to tell her."

"Dude, maybe he wants advice," Ralph tried to comfort.

"Buy her something simple. Just remember: KISS."

"Keep it simple stupid," Ralph automatically repeated.

"It will help you every time," Derek finished.

"I don't need advice…" Sam started.

"Then keep to yourself," Derek instructed. "Casey can blather when she's crying and she cries a lot lately."

Ralph shrugged. "Sorry, Sam. Emily can't keep a secret. I'm out too."

"You don't have to tell Emily and Casey," Sam argued.

Derek and Ralph exchanged a glance before bursting into laughter.

Dropping his hand on Sam's shoulder, Derek said, "You are _so_ naive."

* * *

_The London Free Press  
_**Today: Life Sentences  
**Bringing Elvis…Back to Life?  
By Thane Dobinson, SUN MEDIA

Stretching her back, Casey said, "It is just so nice to have some adult conversation."

"What about Derek?" Saeran asked, just before taking a bite of her sandwich.

Smirking, Casey replied, "Like I said, it's so nice to have some adult conversation."

Giggling, Saeran turned to Emily and asked, "How are your wedding plans coming?"

"Excellent," Emily gushed.

"That's only because they haven't started planning yet," Casey teased.

"You wanted us to wait until you had the baby," Emily argued. At Casey's look, Emily deflated and said, "Ralph wants our wedding colors to be black and pumpkin because that's the colors we wore on our first date."

Laughing out right, it took Saeran a moment to share her thoughts. "I was imagining Sam's face if I told him that I wanted our colors to be white and pink. I can't believe I made him wear a white suit!"

"He looked good," Casey said, dismissing Sam's previous objections. "I like white and pink. It's a lot happier than black and pumpkin."

"Well, if we get married in October it won't be that bad," Emily temporized. "He has enough sick leave stored up that we could actually go on a honeymoon for a week in October."

"The honeymoon spots might be less crowded," Casey agreed.

"Casey, where did you and Derek go for your honeymoon?" Saeran asked.

"After lots of discussion, we decided on Denmark."

"They couldn't decide," Emily explained. "Lizzie and Edwin wrote the name of countries on pieces of paper and then Marti drew a place out of a hat."

"Denmark was beautiful," Casey exclaimed.

"That doesn't mean that that wasn't how you picked your honeymoon spot," Emily teased.

"Have you and Ralph picked a place yet?" Casey countered.

"Jamaica," Emily quickly answered. "Kingston, to be specific."

Blushing, Saeran said, "I always wanted to go to Vancouver."

"That's not even outside of the country," Emily argued.

"I know, but it just seemed like such a nice place from everything I read about it."

"Well," Casey said. "Not having the hassle of getting passports is a plus…oomph."

"Cameron kicking up a storm?" Emily asked as she took a sip of her water.

"Yeah."

"When's Cameron due?" Saeran asked.

"Three more weeks," Casey groaned. "I am so tired of being pregnant. I feel awkward and unwieldy, my back constantly aches, and I can't really see my feet. Derek has to check my shoes before I go somewhere to make sure they match."

Laughing, Emily said, "I remember when he would have purposely answered that question wrong."

"Yeah," Casey agreed, rubbing her lower back. "But back then I wouldn't have asked him because he wouldn't have come near me to get me pregnant in the first place."

Sighing, Saeran said, "I think it's so cute how Casey acts like she never would have become a mother if she didn't marry Derek. Like there just isn't any guy out there for her but him."

Smiling, Casey replied, "There isn't. Not anymore."

"Yeah," Emily laughed. "I feel the same way about Ralph."

Seeing both Emily and Casey's questioning eyes upon her, Saeran smiled and said, "I think I'll keep Sam around, too."

* * *

_The London Free Press  
_**Opinion: Columnists  
**Music Festivals Closing Due to Lack of Funding  
By Hank Gillespie, FREELANCE WRITER

Walking through the park and looking at the different exhibits, Saeran swung Sam and her intertwined hands back and forth in a lazy rhythm.

"I think it's too bad that there aren't more music festivals like this anymore," she said.

"Yeah," Sam absently agreed.

Stopping, Saeran looked up worriedly into Sam's eyes. "Sam, are you okay?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm fine."

"You seem distracted."

"I'm good, Saer. I promise."

"If you want to talk about it…"

Pulling her into his arms, Sam pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I know, Saeran. If I want to talk, I'll come to you. I promise."

"Well, okay," she agreed uncertainly.

Changing the subject and continuing their walk around the park, Sam said, "Derek said that Sami loved visiting your family."

"Oh?"

"Now she can't wait for Cameron to be born," he reported with a grin. "She has requested that Cameron be a girl though because you and your sisters have so much fun."

Laughing, Saeran asked, "Did they explain to her that they _can't_ take requests?"

"They tried, but Sami believes that her Daddy can do anything."

"I can't decide if I should be hoping Casey has a girl or not."

"Derek needs some more testosterone around the house…"

"But, he'll be crushed if his little girl is upset," Saeran finished.

Laughing, Sam led Saeran to a beach that was in the shadow of a large tree. Once they were seated, Sam draped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her against him.

"Saeran?"

"Hum?" she asked from her very comfortable position of being cuddled next to him.

"Where do you see yourself in ten years?"

"Ten years?"

"Yeah."

"I don't know," she answered. "I've never really thought about it. I've been enjoying _now_ too much to care."

Sam surprised Saeran by not smiling back at her remark. Instead he looked at her very seriously and said, "I've been thinking about my future."

"You have," she whispered, now worried.

"Yeah," he agreed.

"What…what have you been thinking about?"

Sam gulped and took a deep breath. Fidgeting, he opened his mouth to reply when both of their cell phones went off.

Both of them reluctantly fished their phones out of their pockets. Reading the text message, they looked up and exclaimed in near synchrony, "It's time!"

* * *

_The London Free Press  
_**Horoscope  
**Capricorn (12/22 – 1/19)  
Investing in major purchases today is a bad idea. Window shop so you're ready to buy when the time is right.

Saeran was almost asleep, her head resting on Sam's shoulder. It had been hours since they got Casey's text message saying that she was heading to the hospital to give birth to Cameron. It hadn't taken them long to reach the hospital, only to find the waiting room crowded with all of Derek and Casey's friends and family wait for news.

At first, Saeran had found the whole thing kind of exciting. Hours after she lost track of time, however, it was just boring. Pealing her eyes open to glance around the room, she could tell she wasn't the only one to feel that way. It seemed everyone was leaning on or against each other with half lidded eyes.

"How long did it take for Sami to be born?" she finally asked Sam.

"Overall, I think it was close to twenty-two hours," Sam mumbled. "The second baby should be quicker."

"Twenty-two hours?" Saeran repeated, sitting up to stare at Sam in disbelief.

"Well, for the moment the contractions started until Sami was born. Casey wasn't in hard labor the whole time."

"Next time I think we should just wait to come until after the baby is born."

"But…we could bring flowers to make up for not being here."

"And a nice present. Something expensive that Casey would never buy herself."

"Sounds good to me," Sam agreed with a tired grin.

Saeran had once again gotten comfily settled against Sam's shoulder when Sami announced into the quiet of the waiting room, "I'm hungry. When's Cameron going to get here? I'm tired of waiting."

"Wait no more, firecracker!"

Hearing Derek's exuberant voice, everyone looked up expectantly.

"51.7 cm, 3597 grams. Casey and Cameron are fine," Derek assured the group as he swung Sami up into his arms. Looking down at his little girl, he asked, "Do you want to see the new baby?"

"Can I see Mommy?" Sami excitedly asked.

"She's resting. You can see her soon," Derek assured their daughter.

Sighing, Sami said, "Then let's go look at Cameron."

Laughing, the group followed the father and daughter out of the room to go see the newest Venturi.

Saeran started to get up to join them when Sam grabbed her wrist and pulled her back down into her seat.

She didn't say anything but looked at Sam in surprise.

Gathering his courage before they could be interrupted again, Sam asked, "Marry me?"

Gasping, Saeran's hands flew to her mouth in disbelief.

"Is that what had you so preoccupied?"

"Yes," Sam answered, suddenly worried about Saeran's answer.

"You actually mean it? You want to spend your life with me?" she asked, tearing up. "You're not asking just to steal Derek and Casey's thunder, are you?"

"No," he quickly assured her. "I just got tired of waiting. And…"

"And?"

"And one day I want to be Derek in this scenario."

"Oh."

"But, only if you're Casey," he added awkwardly.

Grinning, Saeran threw her arms around Sam's neck and pulled him into a tight hug.

"Yes. Yes, I will marry you! Just name the time and place!"

A teasing grin spread across his face and Sam suggested, "We could just join Ralph and Emily."

Laughing, Saeran replied, "You can ask Emily."

* * *

_The London Free Press  
_**Travel  
**Cheap and Fun Vacations for the Family  
By Saeran sheppard, THE CANADIAN PRESS

* * *

_Moon River _was composed in 1961. Lyrics by Johnny Mercer and music by Henry Mancini.


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: Okay everybody, this chapter should answer all your questions. And, it __**will**__ be the last chapter I write for "Sami's Uncle Sam." I'm determined that it shall be so! In fact, I'm fighting my muse away with a stick, just to make sure._

* * *

Saeran glanced at her buzzing phone before answering it with a smile.

"Hey, good lookin'."

"Hi, Aunt Say!" the three-year-old, Sami excitedly greeted her latest "aunt."

Normally, Saeran chuckled at the nickname Sami had recently bestowed upon her, but right now she was still too surprised to NOT be speaking to her fiancé.

"Sami, sweetheart, where's your Uncle Sam?"

"Oh, I'm sitting on his tummy. He's taking a nap on our couch." In a quieter voice, the little girl added, "He's been busy getting his doctor's license and hasn't been going to bed on time." Back to her normal voice, Sami continued, "We were supposed to be watching a movie, but Uncle Sam fell asleep. He told me I wasn't supposed to get off the couch before he fell asleep. The movie ended so I decided to search his pockets and I found his phone."

"Really?" Saeran asked, biting off a bark of laughter.

"Yep! Last time Uncle Sam fell asleep I found twenty dollars! Daddy said I could keep it! I put it in my doggy bank!"

"What did Mommy say?"

"Uncle Sam shouldn't fall asleep when he's watching me."

"Did you find any money this time?" Saeran asked, once again trying not to laugh.

"Nope," Sami replied sadly. Brightening she added, "But I found your picture in Uncle Sam's phone list!"

Saeran's smile widened at the fact that her soon-to-be honorary goddaughter liked her so much.

"So, where are your mommy and daddy?"

Sighing heavily with the great disappointment her three-year-old shoulders had to bare, Sami said, "Daddy had to take somebody's pictures and Mommy took Cameron to the doctor. Aunt Say, Cameron's a boy!"

"I know, sweetie." Saeran tried to sound sympathetic. Sami had been greatly disappointed in Cameron since he joined her family. First, he was a boy. Then, he was too little to play with. Sami didn't know what the point of having him around was.

"Mommy says he's a gift, but Daddy said we _can't_ return him for something else."

This time Saeran couldn't hold back her giggles.

"Um…Sami, I don't think babies work the same way as the shirts Uncle Edwin gives you for presents."

"They should," Sami protested.

"Well, that would be nice," Saeran laughed. "Sami, why is Uncle Sam taking a nap at your house instead at his house?"

"I don't know. He came by and said he wanted to stay with me. Mommy was running late so she let him. I was going to go to Grammy's. I bet Grammy would have stayed awake for the _whole_ movie," Sami groused.

"I'm sure she would have. But, you're being a very good girl by following Uncle Sam's instructions."

"Yeah," Sami agree. "But I wanna do somethin'."

Closing down the programs she'd been working on, Saeran brought up her wedding plans and asked Sami, "Would you like to help me with Uncle Sam and my wedding?"

Saeran could hear then skepticism in the little girl's voice as Sami asked, "Are you really going to have a wedding? Aunt Emmy and Uncle Ralphie said I could be their flower girl and then they ee – ee – ee…"

"Eloped," Saeran filled in.

"Yeah," Sami agreed. "They got married by a judge. Mommy started to cry when she found out. She was helping Aunt Emmy plan the wedding and she felt bad that they didn't have a special wedding."

"Well, I'm sure they thought their wedding _was_ special."

"Uncle Ralphie said that not having Psycho Wedding Planner Casey following them around was special. Aunt Emmy slapped him on the back of the head and said to be nice. It musta hurt because Uncle Ralphie rubbed the back of his head for a while and kept whining. Daddy told Uncle Ralphie that I was braver than him and to act like a man."

Saeran found this information _very_ hard not to laugh about.

"I promise, Sami, that Uncle Sam and I _will _have a special wedding and you can be our beautiful flower girl."

"Aunt Say, what does a flower girl do? Uncle Ralphie said that I would be throwing dead flowers all over the floor so that Aunt Emmy could walk all over it. Mommy and Aunt Emmy said that wasn't zac-ly true, but Daddy said Uncle Ralphie was right and Daddy knows everything!"

"Um…well," Saeran giggled, "Your daddy is right—but it's not dead flowers, it's flower petals. It's supposed to make the floor pretty for the bride to walk on."

"Why?"

"Tradition."

"Why is it tradition?"

"… You should ask your Daddy, Sami."

"You don't know, do you , Aunt Say?"

"Nope, I don't. Sorry, Sami."

"That's okay, Aunt Say. Not everyone can be as smart as my Daddy."

* * *

"Ahh!" Sam exclaimed, bolting upright. Panting, he looked around to find a stern faced Derek Venturi standing over him with a now empty glass. "D, did you have to use ice water?"

Raising an eyebrow, Derek said, "You're just lucky it wasn't pee."

"Huh?"

"Imagine my surprise to come home and find my three-year-old sitting on the couch, rocking back and forth, because Uncle Sam said to stay put and she had to go potty."

"Damn! D, I'm sorry, I…"

"You know Sami's like Casey and once she agrees to a rule she'll follow it until she dies."

Running a hand through his hair, Sam repeated, "I'm sorry. We were watching the _Little Mermaid_. It's just so soporific."

"You and Grampy Venturi," Derek teased, sitting down in his chair. "He hasn't stayed awake when watching a movie with Sami since she was born."

Smiling, Sam retorted, "Come on, D. Even Sami couldn't stay awake through those _Baby Einstein_ videos."

Smirking Derek agreed, "What can I say, my little firecracker needs a plotline."

"Daddy," Sami exclaimed as she threw herself into her father's lap. "Aunt Say told me to ask you why the bride has to walk on dead flowers. She didn't know!"

Settling his daughter on his lap, Derek asked, "When did you talk to Aunt Saeran?"

"I called her when Uncle Sam was asleep." As further proof, Sami pulled Sam's cell phone out of the front pocket on her overalls and proudly held it up.

Taking it from her, Derek smirked and tossed it back to his sheepish friend. "Did you find anything else in Uncle Sam's pockets?"

"No. He was sleeping on his wallet."

This, of course, brought Derek great amusement.

"Daddy," Sami insisted. "You didn't answer my question!"

"I'm sorry," Derek apologized with a grin. Giving his three-year-old a very serious look, he continued, "Do you remember watching the video of Mommy when Mommy and I got married?"

"Uh huh! She looked pretty!"

"Yes, she did," Derek agreed with a smile. "Do you remember the veil she wore over her head?"

"The white stuff?"

"That's right. The white stuff," he confirmed.

"Yep! It covered her whole face."

"Well, the bride can't see much through the veil. She follows the bright flower petals the flower girl left her so can find the groom."

"But, Mommy had Grandpa and Grammy help walk her to you. She didn't need the flowers."

Leaning closer, like he was about to tell his little girl a great secret, Derek said, "Mommy's klutzy and needed her parents to make sure she didn't trip on her big dress."

"Oh," Sami replied with a nod. Looking back up at her father, she then said, "Daddy, why would the ladies wear that white thing if it just makes it so they can't see?"

"Oh, I've got this one, D," Sam interrupted with a smile. Turning to his goddaughter, Sam shared, "Bumblebee, you know how sometimes your mommy gets so happy she cries?"

"Yeah. Mommy said the happiness just leaks out."

"That's right. Well, Mommy was so happy to be marrying your daddy that she started to cry. And your daddy was so happy to be marrying your mommy that if he saw her crying, he would have joined it. So, Mommy had to wear the veil so that Daddy couldn't see her tears."

"So that's why Daddy doesn't like to see us cry," Sami replied. "I'm going to go play with my dollies," she then announced, hopping off her father's lap.

Once Derek was alone with Sam, he turned to his best friend, glare firmly in place, and said, "If Sami didn't like you so much, you would be dead."

Sam just leaned back against the cushions as he burst into laughter.

* * *

"I just can't believe you and Ralph eloped," Casey once again complained as she tossed a blanket over her shoulder and got Cameron adjusted underneath it.

Staring at her friend with wide eyes, Emily whispered, "I can't believe your breastfeeding your child in public."

Sami, who had been quietly coloring up to this point, said, "Breastfeeding makes a baby smart. Mommy fed me that way and Uncle Sam said I'm a genius."

Grinning, Saeran said, "The Venturis just wore you down, huh, Case?"

"He _is_ covered," Casey argued. "Besides, a nursing blouse has openings so that I don't have to unbutton my shirt."

"Sam mentioned something about a large Venturi family reunion not long after you had Sami," Saeran continued.

Handing Sami another crayon with her free hand, Casey nodded. Emily and Saeran exchanged a grin when seeing a blush ride up their friend's cheeks.

"You never told me what happened," Emily teased. "I've got to hear this."

Giving her friends a cold look, Casey replied, "And I never plan on telling you. And I plan on giving Derek a stern talking to when I get home for even _implying_ something happened to Sam."

"Did Sam tell you?" Emily asked Saeran, completely ignoring her other friend's scowls.

"No," Saeran laughed. "Derek never told him what happened. Only that he was proud of his Casey."

Blushing, but for a completely different reason, Casey asked, "He said that?"

"That's what Sam said."

"Looks like that talking to is going to go a little differently," Emily teased.

"Oh, hush," Casey countered. "We weren't talking about that. We were talking about how disappointed everyone was that you and Ralph eloped."

Shrugging, Emily said, "Not everyone was disappointed. Dad was thrilled to save some money. Besides, we decided that we didn't want a wedding like yours and Derek's."

"Emily! I had a thousand different ideas. It wouldn't have been a thing like Derek and my wedding. Sami, honey, color on the paper, not the table."

While Casey's attention was taken up with her children, Emily gave Saeran a look that said it was those thousand different ideas that scared her, not a repeat of the McDonald-Venturi wedding except Ralph and herself as a replacement bride and groom. Saeran giggled and nodded in agreement.

Looking up, Casey caught the tail-end of that conversation but after rolling her eyes she decided to ignore it.

"So, Saeran, how's your wedding plans coming? If you need any help…"

"I've hired a wedding planner," she replied with a grin. "Actually, Dad hired a wedding planner since Sam and I are too poor to afford one."

"A wedding planner?" Casey asked. It was obvious that it was only politeness keeping her from asking what Saeran was thinking.

"I think a wedding planner is an excellent idea," Emily inserted. "They take over the bulk of the responsibility letting you have so much more time."

"How would you know?" Casey asked. "You eloped."

"Mommy, when is lunch comin'? I'm hungry," Sami whined, no longer interested in coloring.

"Soon, sweetie," Casey assured. "Are you done with your picture?"

"It's not a picture, Mommy!"

"Oh, I'm sorry. What is it?"

"It's my flower thrower plans. I have to throw them straight so that Aunt Say can find Uncle Sam."

"Oh," Casey replied. "I'm so proud of you for being prepared!" By now she was used to Venturi logic and figured she probably didn't want to know.

"Why wouldn't I be able to find Uncle Sam?" Saeran asked. She, on the other hand, wasn't used to the mind of Sami and had to ask.

"Daddy said that the bride has to follow the flowers to find the groom because the white thing on her head…"

"Veil," Casey filled in.

"Right! It makes it hard for her to see."

"Oh," Saeran replied. She wanted to ask what explanation "Daddy" gave for the bride wearing a veil, but before she could, Emily leaned over and said, "Trust me, no matter how curious you are, don't ask. Casey's still a little hormonal from Cameron and Sami would be upset if Mommy had to kill Daddy."

* * *

"Sami, what are you doing here?" Saeran asked as she watched Sam carry his goddaughter into the restaurant with him.

"Uncle Sam said you were picking food for the wedding! I want macaroni and cheese," she informed the wedding planner.

"We'll think about it," the uptight woman said. It was obvious she didn't approve of having a child helping.

"Sorry," Sam said, giving his fiancée a quick kiss. "Sami was upset that she doesn't get to see me anymore. Casey said Sami was having a t-a-n-t-r-u-m today because she has to share her d-a-d-d-y with her new b-r-o-t-h-e-r."

"Well, I'm sure she'll be a big help," Saeran said, smiling at their little helper.

Thirty minutes later, the wedding planner at least, was wishing that little Miss Venturi had stayed home.

"That looks funny," Sami said glaring at the plate that was set before them. "You don't want something that looks funny. Nobody will eat it," she assured her aunt and uncle.

"Dear," the wedding planner said with borderline patience. "You said that about the last ten items. Isn't there anything you _do_ like?"

"Macaroni and cheese," Sami reminded her. "Chicken nuggets…and carrots! I really like carrots. They're orange!"

"Yes, well, orange isn't one of the wedding's colors. The colors are navy blue, forest green, and maroon."

"That's what we picked?" Sam whispered.

"Yes," Saeran hissed back.

Sami contemplated the plate in front of her and then looked up at the wedding planner with a confused expression on her face.

"But, this food is brown and white?"

"Well, the food doesn't have to match the colors exactly…"

"So, we could have carrots," Sami argued.

Seeing that the wedding planner was about to blow her stack, Sam jumped up, grabbing Sami on the way. Giving her a cautious smile, he said, "Why don't I run Sami home? I pretty sure her Mommy and Daddy need her help."

"They do?" Sami asked curiously.

"Of course they do. You know how much they love you. They always need you."

Looking quite proud, Sami agreed, "Mommy said I'm her big helper."

"I'll be right back," Sam assured his fiancée and the angry wedding planner. "Ten – fifteen minutes, tops."

"Don't worry, hon," Saeran called after his retreating form. "We'll be fine."

Twenty minutes later, Sam pulled up to the restaurant to find Saeran standing outside waiting for him. As she got in he said, "I'm sorry…"

"Don't worry about it," Saeran assured him as she cut him off.

"So…you've decided on the food."

"Yep," she replied with a grin.

"Do I want to know?"

"Chicken, carrots, and some sort of cheesy pasta dish. The chef was most accommodating. He asked if he could add a dish with shrimp and I said yes…as long as he made some sort of blue and maroon dessert or drink that a child could have. He said he_'_d add mint leaves as a garnish."

Laughing, Sam laced one hand with one of Saeran's. "No wonder your Sami's second favorite aunt."

"She said that?" Saeran excitedly asked. Everyone knew Marti was Sami's absolute _favorite_ aunt, but second was quite the complement.

"Yes, but I wasn't supposed to tell. She doesn't want to hurt Aunt Lizzie's feelings."

"That there just proves that Sami is also Casey's daughter."

"Sometimes it is hard to tell," Sam agreed with a smile.

* * *

"Can you believe it?" Sam asked with a grin as he and Saeran cuddle on his couch in front of the TV. "It two weeks this will all be yours."

Looking around the bachelor apartment, Saeran sighed happily and said, "I've always wanted to live in a place that painted puke green and smells like sewage."

Laughing, Sam twisted her around in his arms to see her face and held her immobile against him. "_You_ are no longer allowed to hangout with the Venturis."

"And deprive Sami of her _Second Favorite Aunt_, I don't think so." Saeran would have sounded stern and maybe a little angry if it weren't for the laughter."

Deciding that for once Derek's advice was actually good, Sam pressed his lips to hers in an effort to shut his fiancée up.

Pulling back, Saeran wiggled around until she got her hand out and caressed the side of Sam's face. "I'm happy that I'm going to marry you."

"Even if I live in the ghetto?"

"You're becoming a doctor, baby. I can stand this ghetto apartment for the rest of the semester. Once you get your license, though, we are looking for a new place," she added with a wide grin.

Growling playfully, Sam decided to kiss her again.

* * *

"You look beautiful," Mary Prydderch told her daughter with tears in her eyes.

"Mom," Saeran complained. "If you cry, I'll cry and then I'll ruin my make-up."

"I'm sorry," she replied, pulling Saeran into a careful hug. "It's just hard to see my oldest all grown up and getting married."

Looking somber, Saeran pulled back and looked down at her shoes. Sure that she knew what was going through the other woman's mind, Mary said, "I'm sorry that your real mother isn't here to see you. She'd be _so_ proud of you. And she'd love Sam."

"Thank you, but that wasn't what I was thinking about."

"No?" Mary asked, confused.

"No." After a pregnant pause, Saeran blurted out, "I'm sorry for the way I treated you when you first came into our lives. And you are a real mother to me, never doubt that."

Mary smiled and grabbed the box of tissues. Dabbing away her tears, she said, "Thank you!"

"Dang it, Mom, I told you not to cry," Saeran exclaimed, grabbing her own tissues.

"Then you shouldn't have said such nice things to me!"

"Did I come at a bad time?" Saeran's father asked, poking his head around the door.

"No, Robert. We're just having a bonding moment."

"Go get to your seat," Robert teased, kissing his wife on the cheek. "It's time for me to walk someone down the aisle."

With another kiss and a hug, Mary hurried out of the room leaving the father and daughter alone together.

Sighing, Robert took his daughter's hands and said, "I can't believe this is it. My oldest baby girl is getting married."

"Dad, you have three other unmarried daughters. Wait to act all nostalgic when Kaitlin_'_s engaged."

"Don't give me that. You're my oldest. You're the one who taught me what loving someone more than myself was all about. I thought I knew what it was with your mother, but then I held this tiny little girl who looked up at me with these large, unfocused eyes and then fell back asleep, sure that I would protect her—well, that was when I knew I would do anything to make sure you were safe and happy."

Blinking suspiciously, Robert added, "And now I have to let you go and trust Sam to do those things."

Pulling him into a hug, not caring about crushing her skirt, Saeran said, "Don't worry, Daddy. Sam will do a good job. But, it doesn't matter because I'll always be your little girl."

"You better," Robert threatened with a grin. Wiping away her tears, he said, "Speaking of little girls, we have an impatient three-year-old with a basket of rose petals and a flower throwing plan."

Checking her mascara after all the crying she did, Saeran asked, "I wonder if she'll be disappointed that I'm not wearing the 'white thing' on my head."

"I'm sure that as long as she gets to throw the flowers she'll be fine."

Laughing, Saeran shook her head as she took her father's arm. "Shows what you know, Dad. Samantha Venturi is very logical for a three-year-old. She'll want to know the point of throwing them now that I'm not wearing a veil."

"Don't worry, sweetheart," Robert assured his daughter. "We'll come up with something."

* * *

"So, how you doing?" Ralph asked Sam with a grin.

"Are you nervous yet?" Tom added.

Though Chloe, Saeran's younger sister, insisted that she and Tom were _just friends_, they still went everywhere together and the Prydderch family had already excepted him as another future son-in-law. It was because of this that when the wedding planner insisted that Saeran's three sisters and Sam's two best friends would not work as attendants because that would make the wedding party uneven, Sam naturally asked Tom who was thrilled to be a part of things.

"Were you nervous?" Sam asked his two best friends, not willing to admit to anything just yet.

"No," Ralph replied with a shrug. "We eloped so I didn't actually have time to get nervous. The planning made me nervous."

Smirking, Derek added, "You saw me at my wedding."

"That's right," Ralph laughingly recalled. "You were panicking that Casey would panic and leave you at the altar."

"Come on," Derek protested. "That was perfectly natural. We were still in college. I was getting my degree in an arts program. I had no guarantees for future jobs. Casey had a _life plan_. I was afraid I couldn't live up to it. I was sure she would take one look at me while we were standing in front of everybody and realize that she could do so much better."

"And then?" Sam asked, starting to worry those same things himself.

"I found out that Casey knew I was an idiot all along but decided to keep me anyway."

"That's beautiful," Tom declared.

"Shut up!" Sam barked. Turning to Derek, he demanded, "What do you mean you 'found out'?"

"Edwin did record me barfing before the wedding," Derek reminded him. "I had to explain that to Casey when we were watching our wedding video as _she_ started freaking out."

"And then you ate two whole rolls of breath mints," Ralph added in awe.

"Saeran's seen your apartment and car _and_ is still willing to marry you," Derek comforted. "You'll be fine."

"Yeah," Tom added. "If she didn't freak out after cleaning out your refrigerator, I think you're golden."

"She cleaned out Sam's refrigerator?" Ralph asked with a grin.

"Chloe said that Saeran said things were moving around in there of their own accord," Tom seriously reported.

Sam rolled his eyes as Derek and Ralph bent in two laughing themselves silly.

* * *

"Are you ready?" Saeran asked her bridesmaids/sisters and flower girl as she and her father arrived at the **designated meeting area**.

"You're not wearing the white thing," Sami complained.

"I decided that I didn't like any of the veils I tried on," Saeran explained. "So, I decided not to wear a _white thing_."

Sami thought about this, then asked, "Can I go sit with Mommy now?"

"What?" the wedding planner exclaimed. "Why? Why are you sitting with Mommy? No! You will march down that aisle and you _will _throw flowers just like you practiced."

"But, Aunt Say doesn't need me anymore," Sami explained. "She's not wearing the white thing and can find Uncle Sam on her own."

"What? That makes no sense! Stand in position!"

Seeing the mulish look upon the three-year-old's face and suddenly understanding what his daughter had meant, Robert said, "Sami, we need you to walk down the aisle with the flowers so you can go stand next to your daddy and Uncle Sam. They need you standing next to them."

"They need me?" Sami asked. "Are you sure?"

"When has Daddy and Uncle Sam _not_ needed you?" Saeran asked.

"Mommy did say I was supposed to make sure Daddy behaved."

"That's right," Saeran agreed. "And you're supposed to do what Mommy tells you, huh?"

"Yep," Sami agreed. Looking up at the stressed wedding planner, she added, "I'm ready now."

Exchanging glances, the Prydderch women all started to giggle—much to the wedding planner's dismay.

* * *

No longer needing to make a path for her new aunt to follow, Sami threw flowers around the aisle with great abandon. Her mommy ached to say something about neatness, but her daddy and uncles Ralph and Sam grinned happily. Even Saeran and her family were giggling as the wedding planner roller her eyes with great abandon.

Reaching the end of the aisle, Sami tossed the rest of the petals in the air. Hiking up her skirt like she'd seen her mommy do when avoiding a puddle, Sami stepped up the three steps to her Uncle Sam. Grabbing him around the leg, she gave him a quick hug and a large smile before taking her Daddy's proffered hand and standing quietly like the big girl she was.

Somehow, any of the last jitters Sam had, disappeared with his goddaughter's encouragement. Smile widening, Sam turned his attention to the back of the chapel as his bride stepped into the room. Once their eyes met, neither seemed to notice anyone else and the wedding went off without a hitch.

Later, at their reception, as their song—_Moon River_—filled the room, Saeran laid her head against Sam's shoulder regardless of make-up smears and sighed happily.

Upon kissing the top of her head, Sam said, "What are you thinking, Mrs. Sheppard?"

"That it's a pity we couldn't book D-Rock."

"Yeah, I'm still upset about that," he teased back.

Looking up at him, Saeran face a study in seriousness, she said, "Actually, I was thinking that Casey Venturi was wrong."

"Oh?" Sam asked, glancing over to see his best friend with Sami on his lap and one arm around Casey as they all cooed at Cameron.

"Yeah. Casey said she's the happiest woman alive, but I take serious issue with that. No one could be happier than me."

Bringing his lips to hers, Sam decided that his wife was right. No one could be happier than them.


End file.
